Our Broken World
by dancingknight15
Summary: Due to a disaster that occurred five years ago, the city of Serenity is the only place with enough Leafe to sustain human life. What lies beyond the barrier that separates the city from the wasteland beyond? And who is the girl in the light? AU
1. Chapter 1

"Look! Over there!" Mannen cried out excitedly, running towards the gap in the barrier.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Hajime asked uncertainly.

Shin watched the two of his friends silently. Mannen grinned and gestured to the other two to follow him.

"It'll be fine! Follow me!" he cried, squeezing through the sliver in the magical barrier. Hajime followed him somewhat hesitantly, holding Shin's hand protectively. As soon as they passed through the barrier, the oppressive air surrounded them. Mannen coughed as the Leafe drained air filled his lungs.

Shin looked unhappily at his surroundings. There were no living beings in sight. All the Leafe from the trees and plants had been sucked away—and it felt like a vacuum. Hajime felt a shudder pass through his system as he felt the contaminated Leafe from the polluted water call out to him.

"I want to go back," Shin said. Mannen—who looked as scared as Shin felt—turned towards Shin in irritation.

"Stop being such a baby. We'll go back after we see what made that light last night," Mannen said, crossing his arms. Shin looked about to cry, but sniffled and nodded instead.

Hajime made a barrier around them as it began to rain. The three had heard the stories of the acidic rain that fell from the sky beyond the barrier, and they were taking no chances. Besides, if any of that rain landed on them it would be a clear sign to Go that they had gone past the barrier. And he would kick their butts if he found out for sure.

Although Mannen walked confidently forward, he was beginning to feel uneasy. True, he had seen a shooting beam of light fall somewhere around here last night—but where exactly was a mystery to him.

He thought he heard something move behind him, and he shuddered. It was broad daylight—when the creatures were said to be asleep—so it should be okay, he decided, continuing forward.

"Mannen," Hajime said in a small voice, "I think there's something behind us…"

"It's your imagination," Mannen retorted, both to comfort Hajime and himself.

Seconds later, a huge beast with a hideous mouth full of razor sharp teeth flew towards them. Mannen quickly made a wall of ice to stop it, but knew it was only temporary.

"Run!" he yelled, grabbing Hajime's hand. In his shock at seeing the creature, Hajime had released Shin's hand. Shin stood rooted to the stop, staring at the creature. Having never seen anything as terrifying in his life, he was unable to move from fear.

"Shin!" Hajime called out.

"Damn! Shin, run!" Mannen cried out, running back towards Shin. But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't beat the monster's speed. He made a slide of ice and surfed his way towards Shin—watching in horror as the monster's deadly teeth came inches away from Shin's small form.

"Shin!" another voice cried out, blasting a sonic wave towards the creature. Howling in pain, the creature turned to attack its attacker, a snow-white haired, gentle-looking teen with vivid lavender eyes.

"Sasame, get Shin! I'll handle the monster!" another male voice cried out, emitting a blast of wind from his hands. The creature felt the sharp winds keenly and rushed towards its second attacker, a deep blue-haired, blue-eyed teen that looked as hostile as Sasame looked gentle. A stream of fire added to Hayate's wind attacks.

"Don't have all the fun, Hayate," a red and brown haired teen said with a grin, "Besides, I need to beat the crap out of Mannen after this is over…"

Mannen grimaced as he heard Go's angry voice as he attacked the creature with fire. Mannen rushed forward to help the battle, but was stopped by a feminine-looking male with blond hair.

"Kei, I can fight!" Mannen protested.

"This fight is almost over," Kei replied.

He was right. With Hayate's and Go's volley of fire and wind, the creature was succumbing in a pool of its own dark, oozing blood. As the creature rasped its final breaths, Go made his way over to Mannen.

"I thought I told you NEVER to go past the barrier!" he roared, pulling on Mannen's ear.

"Ow! Ow!" Mannen cried out, trying to wriggle free from his brother's grasp.

"How is Shin?" Kei asked, as he placed a reassuring hand on his younger brother Hajime's head.

Sasame was grasping his trembling younger brother Shin tightly, his usually gentle eyes burning with anger. He averted his eyes.

"Why was there a crack in the barrier?" Hayate demanded.

"It doesn't matter. For now, let's get back and seal it back up again," Kei said calmly.

As they turned to leave, Hayate thought he saw a flash of light in the corner of his eye.

"Go on ahead. There's something I want to check out," he said.

"You'll be fine alone?" Sasame asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll be fine. Take the kids back. I'll join you," Hayate replied, already heading towards the source of the light.

As he continued towards the direction of the pulsating light, he felt the whisper of a voice in the wind. A familiar yet dangerous voice. Ignoring its entreaties, he continued forward, until he came across a globe of light. His eyes widened as he realized that there was a young girl suspended inside of the globe of light.

He hesitated, and then extended his hand towards the light. He felt a shock run through his system as he touched the orb, and watched in amazement as it flickered and shattered into thousands of tiny shards. The body of the suspended girl began to fall to the ground.

"Ugh," Hayate groaned as her weight landed on him. Heaving her off of him, he narrowed his eyes.

The girl had bright pink hair and fair skin and was garbed in some strange outfit that was certainly from some distant place. If not for the slight movements of her chest as she breathed, she looked like a corpse.

"So, it's you, is it?" Hayate said, a hand on her cheek.

And he bent down to press his lips to hers.


	2. Chapter 2

As he pulled away from his kiss, Hayate watched as the girl gained consciousness.

She looked up with sleep-filled eyes at Hayate, and a blush covered her cheeks.

"You're really handsome," she said sleepily. Hayate started and then frowned in irritation as the girl returned to sleeping. He placed a hand on his lips, disbelieving.

"The legends were true," he muttered.

As daylight faded, he decided it was not safe to stay beyond the barrier. He picked up the sleeping girl and headed back. He watched her with growing unease. Her resemblance was remarkable. The same vivid colored hair, the same bright eyes and slender form. Even her lips…

Locating the crack in the barrier, Hayate made his way back into the city. Serenity was an ironic name for the last city on this world that could sustain sentient life. Serenity was anything but peaceful since the fateful day that had torn their world apart. Hayate preferred moving in the darkness of the city, masking his presence in the fading moonlight.

After sealing the barrier using his Leafe energy, Hayate proceeded towards the place he and his comrades called home. When he reached the run down building, he emitted a sliver of his wind into the keyhole. Responding to his magical signature, the door clicked open.

Hayate walked down the unlit hallway, ready to collapse under the weight of the girl.

'Gods, she's heavy for someone who looks so light,' he thought, as he reached the main room.

"Ow, ow!" Mannen cried out.

"Sit still! You wouldn't have gotten this cut if you had stayed put like I told you!" Go said angrily as he applied alcohol to the cut Mannen had received on his arm.

Because supplies—especially medical supplies—were few and far between, they were using leftover whiskey they had found in this building to disinfect the cut. The lack of supplies had been one reason that Mannen had jumped at the chance to check out the light he had seen the night before; he believed that it was a supply kit, like the ones they used to receive when he was younger. But it had been at least two years since a supply kit had made its way to Serenity.

Sasame was patting Shin to sleep on his lap, while Hajime had already fallen asleep on the couch. As Hayate walked into the room with the girl, Go gasped in surprise, while Sasame opened his mouth in shock and Kei narrowed his eyes.

"Is that…?" Sasame began. As Hajime began to stir, Kei put a finger to his lips.

"Is there a spare room?" Hayate asked almost in a whisper. Sasame nodded, placing Shin onto the couch and getting to his feet.

Wordlessly, he led Hayate to the far room that none of them had yet claimed as their own. They had moved here recently, no more than a few months ago, so they had yet to explore the entirety of the building.

Hayate groaned in relief as he placed the sleeping girl onto the moth-eaten mattress.

"She looks exactly like…" Sasame began, when Hayate interrupted him.

"She reacted to me…just like the legends say," he said. Sasame looked at Hayate in surprise.

"You kissed her?" Sasame asked.

"She woke, if only for a moment," Hayate replied stiffly, "She was suspended in some kind of light, that broke when I touched it."

"Then there's no doubt…she must be the next Pretear…" Sasame mused aloud. Kei walked into the room thoughtfully gazing at the sleeping beauty on the bed.

Without another moment's hesitation, he made his way to her bed and pressed his lips to hers. As he pulled back, her eyes fluttered open and took in her surroundings in confusion.

"I assume you woke her up like that?" Kei asked mechanically.

"Yes," Hayate replied, irritation filling his eyes. Sasame looked at Hayate knowingly.

"I'll get her something to eat," Go said from the doorway.

She looked around with her bright pink eyes and drank in her dimly lit surroundings in silence.

"Hey," Sasame said softly, kneeling so that he was eye to eye with her.

"Where am I?" she asked. Hayate started at the sound of her voice. It was exactly the same, except much less harsh. If Sasame noticed the similarity, he ignored it and answered her question instead.

"You are in the city of Serenity, in the realm of Liora," Sasame explained.

"I see. And who are you?" she asked with unusual calmness.

"My name is Sasame. And this is Kei and Hayate. The red-head you saw earlier is Go," Sasame explained. She nodded.

Hayate frowned. If this had been _her_, she would have been raging up a storm about not knowing what was going on. This girl was poised and calm—too calm. And the fact that she recognized none of them…

"Here's your food!" Go said happily. Kei almost rolled his eyes. Go would definitely take this opportunity to rub it in that he had been right all along. She thanked him, gazing at the bowl in silent contemplation.

"Why haven't any of you asked me who I am?" she asked, stirring the porridge mixture.

"Err…good question!" Go said, his initial enthusiasm fading, "Well, why don't you tell us your name?"

"I don't know," she responded.

"I don't know. What an interesting name…" Go said, receiving a whack from Kei.

"Memory loss," Kei said, examining her eyes, "She doesn't seem to have a concussion, surprising after the impact she must have made after landing here."

"Landing?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. She brought the spoon full of porridge to her mouth but hesitated.

"It's not poisoned, tulip head," Hayate muttered. She looked up in surprise.

"What did you call me?" she asked, her voice still calm.

"Eat," Hayate commanded, leaving the room. He could no longer stand being in the same room with that girl. She was so much like her, yet not at the same time. It was like she was only a shell of the girl he had once known.

If not for the legends, he would not have brought her all the way back here. Leaving her in the shelter would have been enough to ensure her safety until she woke at least. He placed a hand over his face. Seeing her made a tremor run through his system. It was as if his sin had returned to haunt him once again…


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you remember where you were before you came here?" Sasame asked the girl.

She frowned, swallowing the porridge thoughtfully.

"All I remember is a lot of light," she replied.

"Hayate, did you find her in a Leafe shell?" Sasame asked, turning to look for Hayate.

"He left a while ago," Kei said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"I see," Sasame said, sighing.

"Well, once you're done eating, I can give you a little tour of our home, if you'd like," Sasame offered. The girl nodded.

"I've found you a change of clothes," Go said happily, coming back into the room. He held a school uniform in his hands, complete with baggy socks and plain brown shoes.

Sasame got to his feet, his eyes blazing.

"That is not for her," he hissed, grabbing the clothes from Go. A flicker of anger ran through Go's eyes.

"You can't be in denial forever—you and Hayate," he said sharply.

"Forgive me," Sasame said, turning to the girl on the bed who was watching the entire interaction in confusion, "But I'll find something else for you to wear, okay?"

The girl nodded, watching the school uniform carefully. It seemed familiar somehow…

She suddenly felt sleepy and placed the half-eaten bowl of porridge onto the table beside the bed.

"Rest. It seems you've used a lot of your leafe coming here," Kei said. She nodded and curled up to sleep once more.

"There's no way it's not her!" Go cried out.

"Himeno is dead, you know that as well as I do. Whoever that girl is, she's only resembles Himeno on the surface," Sasame said.

"Just because she disappeared into light doesn't mean she died!" Go resisted, "She could have been transported to Leafenia…"

"Leafenia doesn't exist. If it did, would our world be in the state it is now?" Sasame countered.

"Damn, you've been like this since Takako disappeared. If I didn't know better, you've become more bitter than Hayate has," Go replied heatedly.

"You're going to wake the kids with your shouting," Kei said as he walked past them. They both fell silent. Go turned away with a huff to return to the living room, while Sasame stood rooted to his spot in the hallway.

"Kei, what do you think about the girl Hayate found?" Sasame asked.

"There's no doubt that she's the pretear. I could taste the leafe flowing through her when I kissed her. As to whether she is Himeno or not, I'd say it's too early to tell," Kei said in a matter-of-factly.

"Everything's always been so cut and dry for you, hasn't it?" Sasame asked, managing a small smile.

"That would be because everything is that simple," Kei replied, picking Hajime up off the couch.

Sasame started as he heard the door click open. Hayate walked in, blood staining on his clothes around his abdomen.

"Where the hell did you go?" Go asked when he saw Hayate's wound. Sasame pulled out the few bandages and cloth they had and placed some whiskey onto a small sheet of clean bedding.

Hayate removed his shirt in silence, ignoring Go. He winced as Sasame placed the alcohol-soaked cloth on the gash that ran across his stomach.

"I know you like your midnight walks, but it's been getting more dangerous recently," Sasame said softly, gently disinfecting the wound.

Hayate indicated to the bag he had brought in with him. Kei opened it up and pulled out several cans of food.

"Where did you find this?" he asked. They had been running dangerously low on food recently, but were doing their best to manage. This sudden wealth of food would keep them going for a month at least, even with the girl.

"Went into the Upper City," Hayate replied, inhaling sharply as Sasame pressed into his wound.

"You could've gotten killed!" Go said loudly, waking Mannen.

"Wha…who…" he said sleepily, when he saw the bag of food.

"Food!" he said happily, sitting up. Hayate managed a small smile when he saw Mannen's enthusiasm.

"You can have a whole can if you want today," Hayate said.

"Thanks!" Mannen said, racing over to the bag to pick a can of food. He turned to face Hayate and realized that he was injured.

"What happened?" he asked, holding the can in his hand tightly.

"It looks like a bullet grazed his skin," Kei said with clinical detachment.

"But only the Upper City police have guns…" Mannen said, realization dawning on him.

"You went to Upper City!" he said, "Take me with you next time!"

Go whacked him on the head and said firmly, "You're not going anywhere, you brat!"

"I'm not a brat!" Mannen retorted, unsuccessfully trying to punch his older brother, Go.

"Where's the girl?" Hayate asked, although he didn't want to know the answer.

"She's sleeping again. Oh and Go tried to give her Himeno's old school uniform to change into," Sasame said.

Hayate rose to his feet in anger.

"Who gave you permission to touch her clothes?" Hayate hissed.

"I don't need permission! Himeno doesn't belong to only you!" Go yelled.

Hayate grabbed a roll of bandages and left the room, seething. It was true, no one owned Himeno—no one ever could…or ever will, he thought, his anger subsiding into sorrow and guilt.

She was dead because of him, a fact that he could never erase. He had failed his duties as a knight. As her protector. If this girl was indeed the pretear, she had the potential to change this world. But Hayate was not willing to sacrifice another pretear again. He would fix this world and atone for his sins alone.


	4. Chapter 4

After Hayate had stormed out of the room, Go had followed suit, deciding to leave the apartment altogether. He needed to cool his head. He had spent months after Himeno had vanished into a burst of light, trying to convince the others that she had only been transported to Leafenia, not died. But they did not heed his words. And part of him couldn't blame them. They had lost everything the day they had failed.

Go stepped outside into the night's cool air, taking a deep breath. He looked around him quickly for the presence of others. Convinced that he was the only living creature around, he continued down the road. To his left and right were damaged, abandoned buildings. No one wanted to live this near the barrier. Cracks in the barrier like the one Mannen and the boys had gone through were getting more and more common, making it plausible that one of the creatures that lived on the other side could get through.

Only those with nothing lived here, and even then, not for long. Due to lack of resources—food, water, clothing and medical supplies—they had been moving from place to place. Not to mention the gang wars made it difficult to stay in any place for too long. If they were a larger group, they could've fought to keep their territory. But with the seven of them—three of them too young to fight—they posed no threat.

Go looked up into the waning moon, and sighed. His anger had subsided, giving rise to the sense of hopelessness he felt when he was alone.

He started when he heard the click of a gun's safety lock being released. He found himself at gunpoint at the most unlikely of individuals.

"Mawata?" he breathed. Her eyes were narrowed, her hand on the trigger. She was not joking around, that was for sure.

"Where is my sister?" she demanded. Go sighed.

"I told you, she's missing, that's all," he replied.

"I've heard rumors of a girl with short pink hair brought in from the wastelands. That girl is no doubt my sister. I came to take her back," she said.

"We don't know if she's Himeno yet," Go began, "She doesn't remember anything about herself."

"I'm not here to listen to your excuses. I know you only want to continue using her as the pretear now that she's back. She deserves better than that," she said sharply, her finger beginning to tighten around the trigger.

Go felt sweat break out on his forehead. The kind, gentle Mawata he had known seemed completely gone. Left behind was a bitter, stubborn, strong-willed woman who wanted to bring the pieces of her shattered life together. Who would do anything to reach that goal.

"Mawata, listen to me," Go said softly.

"I'm not here to listen to your lies!" she said shrilly, pulling the trigger. Go felt the bullet whiz past his ear. The time for talking was over. He rushed over and grabbed Mawata's arm, painfully twisting the gun out of her hand.

'Where had she gotten the gun anyway?' Go thought as he pulled her into a tight hold.

"Give my sister back…give my sister back," she cried out. Go tensed in worry that others might gather around after hearing Mawata's cries.

He turned to face Mawata and felt a pang run through him as he saw tears flow down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he said, and hit her on the neck with enough pressure to knock her out.

Holding her limp body in his arms, he sighed and then moved to hold her closer. After a brief embrace—which she would have never tolerated from him if conscious—he picked her up and headed back to their home.

When he used a steam of fire to open the lock to their home, Hayate was waiting in the hallway.

"What?" Go asked in an irritated voice. His walk had only cooled his temper temporarily. Seeing Hayate in person once again had only caused it to return.

"Nothing," Hayate said, looking at the unconscious form in his arms.

"Apparently it's bring-an-unconscious-girl-home day," Kei said without humor, his mind already calculating how much more food they would need per day.

"She won't stay once she wakes," Go said, placing her on the couch. He threw the gun towards Kei.

"She had this with her," he said as Kei frowned. Sasame walked into the room and upon seeing Mawata's sleeping form, rushed towards her, grabbing her wrist to feel her pulse.

"She's alive if that's what you're worried about," Go said, feeling irritated at the way Sasame held her hand gently in his own.

"Where did you find her?" he asked Go.

"Actually she found me. Apparently there are rumors going around about Himeno," he replied.

"Already? She just came here," Kei asked.

"This city is alive during the night more than the day, you know that," Go replied, "Besides, Mawata's probably been trailing us waiting for any sign of Himeno."

"Women make life more difficult," Kei said simply, leaving the room. Sasame managed a small smile.

"What's so funny?" Go demanded.

"The fact that he's right—women do make life more difficult," Sasame said.

"What are we going to do with her?" Hayate asked from the doorway.

"What are we doing with Himeno?" Go countered.

"Go, we don't know if it is her yet…" Sasame said quickly before Hayate could retort sharply.

"Well, then, call her what you want. I think that's our Himeno. She just needs time to remember us is all," Go said.

"It would be good if Mawata could stay here," Sasame said softly.

"I have no complaints," Hayate said, "If she's willing to stay. It's been dangerous for her to be on her own here anyway."

Sasame nodded, looking at the young girl's fierce expression even in sleep with a sigh. If Himeno was Hayate's sin, Mawata was Sasame's. Sasame had been envious of Hayate for something he would never admit—that while he had a constant living reminder of his sin, Himeno was gone, leaving Hayate with the chance to forget and move on. Except now, the girl who could have been Himeno's twin was a direct reminder. Sasame could see the pain that flitted across Hayate's face every time he saw or even mentioned the girl.

And it made Sasame wonder why Hayate would ever bring the representation of his sin back with him…


	5. Chapter 5

Mawata woke to the sounds of yelling and objects being thrown outside. Startled, she leapt to her feet, searching for her gun—her only line of defense. It was nowhere to be found. Worse, asleep in a chair next to her was the last person she wanted to see—the white-haired demon Sasame.

"You're awake," Go said, sticking his head into the living room.

"What's going on?" she demanded, both about the activities outside and for the reason why she was in _their_ home of all places.

"Rioting. It's a good thing I brought you here last night. Being on the streets now is dangerous," Go replied.

"Yes, but why am I here?" she asked, simultaneously looking for her gun.

"Well, you demanded to see Himeno at gunpoint, and I didn't feel like getting shot yesterday, so I knocked you out and brought you back here," Go said, crossing him arms. Sasame began to stir.

"Mawata, how are you?" he asked, as a wave of pain flashed across his face. Her sharp glare and unrelenting gaze hit him all the way to his core. Turning away, he switched his attention to the sounds of the chaos outside.

"Well, it looks like we'll need to move again, huh?" Sasame asked Go. Go nodded.

"Kei's planning with Hayate when and where to move. We have food for the moment, so that's not going to be a sticking point at least," Go explained.

"Where is my sister?" Mawata interrupted.

"Selfish as always," Hayate snapped as he walked into the room, holding Mawata's gun in his hand.

"Hayate," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. He ignored her and turned to Go instead.

"Go, you and I will provide the defense while Kei and Sasame usher the kids and the girls with them," Hayate said.

"We're all packed to go?" Go asked. Despite his argument with Hayate last night, Go knew that this was no time for fighting amongst themselves. Moves were always complicated and an unavoidable risk. With the sounds of the riot coming closer, he knew they had little time to lose.

"Yes. I'll go wake the girl. Sasame, you're in charge of her," Hayate said, leaving the room.

"Who put him in charge?" Mawata muttered. She reached into her vest and pulled out another gun.

"Since I'm here anyway, I'll help with the move," she said, throwing the gun to Go.

"I know you're Leafe knights, but it doesn't hurt for you to have a gun each," she said, pulling another series of guns.

"How many guns do you have anyway?" Go asked, turning away in embarrassment as she pulled a gun out of her cleavage.

"The better question is how she obtained all of them." Sasame said while preparing the gun she had passed to him. He grabbed the backpack next to him and slinging it over his shoulder, picked up his peacefully sleeping brother Shin from the couch. Wrapping him in blankets, he made a sling for him, shielding from view.

Mawata left the common room. She was here for her sister, and she would find her, no matter the circumstance. She opened door after door, only to find the rooms empty, until she reached a room at the far end of the corridor. When she opened the door, she was horrified to find Hayate's lips on her sister's.

"What do you think you're doing?" she said in a low voice. She watched in amazement as her sister blinked awake.

"Himeno," she cried out, smiling for the first time in a long while. As she raced towards her sister, she turned at Mawata and stared at her blankly.

"Hi-me-no," she said uncertainly to Hayate, and then turned to Mawata once more and asked, "Who are you?"

Mawata stopped in mid-step. What Go had said to her rang in her mind: 'She doesn't remember anything about herself…'

"My name is…" she began, when Hayate's large hand covered her delicate mouth.

"A friend of ours," Hayate said, "Now, we can save introductions for later. We're moving."

"Moving?" the girl asked.

"Yeah. This place has gotten a little dangerous, so we're going to go somewhere safer," Hayate said, still holding the struggling Mawata.

"Okay," the girl replied. As the girl turned around, Hayate released Mawata—receiving dagger sharp glares from her.

He raised his hands in defeat and slowly backed out of the room. He knew better than to mess with her; he had experienced her power first hand when she was at the height of her fury.

"Okay, we're leaving," Kei announced, with a sleepy Hajime and an alert Mannen following after him. Sasame, with Shin and the food sack, trailed behind them. Sasame motioned for the girl to follow him, and she nodded, following them without question. Mawata joined Go and Hayate, determined to be serving as part of the guard rather than be shepherded along.

"Don't get in my way," Hayate said sharply while Go said in a low voice, "Be careful."

They burst out the back door, the sounds of the riot getting closer. As they made their way through the back alleys, Kei leading the way, they were stopped by a small group of what appeared to be drunken teens with clubs in their hands.

"Where do ya think you're goin'?" one of them drawled. Hayate had no patience for them. He cocked the gun in his hand while simultaneously summoning a stream of wind as a barrier.

"A magic user, the bastard," another said, starting to move backwards in fear. Go followed Hayate's lead, summoning a ring of fire around his body. If the thugs had wanted to attack before, they had no intention of doing so anymore.

The seven guys and Mawata began moving forward, while the girl remained rooted to the spot.

"Himeno?" Go cried out to her, and then realizing his mistake, shut his mouth before continuing.

"Why?" she asked, turning to them with tears in her eyes, "Why is it like this?"

Hayate looked from her to the group of rioters headed in their direction.

"We don't have time to stand around, idiot!" he yelled, grabbing her hand. As their hands connected, a burst of bright light spewed forth, enveloping the two of them in its warmth.

"The pretear…" Hayate breathed in shock as he felt his being become one with the girl's…


	6. Chapter 6

I'm back after my vacation with no internet! For those of you following this story, thank you! I've enjoyed all of your comments so far and with your continued support, have been inspired to continue this and brainstorm other pretear fanfic ideas as well! Enjoy!

...

In a burst of bright light, Hayate felt the sensation of his leafe spirit melding into one with the pretear's. As his spirit fused with hers, he could feel her confusion, sorrow—and so hidden he almost missed it—her anger. He felt an ache in her chest as he felt her anger; it was a fragment of the furious rage Himeno had embodied whenever she had fought using her powers as pretear. The familiarity was both painful and comforting.

"Himeno," Hayate thought aloud, almost on reflex.

"What?" the girl asked in response, surprised to find his voice coming from within her.

Hayate remained silent. He saw through her eyes the sudden fear that crossed the faces of the mob that was approaching them. And he didn't blame them. The pretear, who by legend was supposed to be the savior of this world, had caused its downfall. Her return was anything but a good omen. As the mob rushed forward, brandishing crude weapons made from broken steel supports, trashcan lids and fallen debris, Hayate felt tears well up in her eyes once more.

"Stupid! Don't just stand there!" he cried, snapping her into attention. As if on reflex, she began to release Leafe from her core. As the bubbles of light spread, it restored to its original unbroken form whatever it touched—buildings, streets, clothing and even people—at least their external appearance. The mob watched her in awe as Hayate felt fear explode in his chest. He wasn't going to let the same thing happen again. Wouldn't this girl learn that the same strategy wouldn't work twice?

"Stop," he commanded, separating from her. He caught her falling form in his arms, and held her unconscious form gently. The mob had dissipated and now the only thing surrounding the group were the beautiful, yet delicate orbs of Leafe the pretear had released.

"This confirms that she is Himeno," Mawata said, breaking the silence.

"This confirms that the girl is the pretear, yes, but nothing more," Sasame said softly.

"I don't want to hear anything from you," Mawata snapped. Her expression softened when she felt Hajime's hand in her own.

"I hope she's Himeno nee-chan, too, Mawata nee-chan," he said. Smiling so briefly that even Hajime almost missed it, Mawata ruffled Hajime's hair.

"We should get going in case another wave of the mob comes," Kei remarked, after the sounds of breaking glass in the distance broke the calm.

They continued onwards, without further incident, careful to keep away from any sounds of rioting. Go walked by Mawata and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder before continuing on without a backward's glance. She appreciated the gesture, but still felt unable to relax, especially with Sasame in the vicinity. She was beginning to regret coming along, but at the same time, she was not going to abandon the only family member she had left.

They arrived at what used to be a hotel on the other edge of the city. Being a small group, they could not afford to live close to the center of the city, where they would have been guaranteed safety and food; they could not compete against the larger gangs to live on their territory, nor would they ever be allowed to join another gang…

"We're here," Kei announced, gesturing to the others to follow him into the hotel. Once a five star hotel for the rich, owned by the Awayuki conglomerate, it was now a dilapidated, decaying building. Hajime shuddered as a rat scuttled by, tightening his grip on Mawata's hand.

"The top floors are supposedly cleaner," Kei said. They entered into the emergency stairwell, and laboriously began to climb towards the top. Hayate began to groan as his arms sagged from the girl's weight.

"Go on ahead. I'll meet you there," he wheezed. Mawata shot him a warning look, and continued on with the others.

Alone, Hayate placed the girl down lightly and ran his hand gently through her hair. He had had so many things left to tell her, to ask her—to share with her. He sighed, bringing his head to rest on hers.

"I always thought you would be the death of me, not the other way around," he murmured. The girl shifted in her sleep, as if in response to his murmuring. Hayate snapped his head up and turned to face her. She was still sleeping, her soft breathing causing her slight frame to rise and fall in even intervals. She looked like a breathing doll—so fragile she would break at any moment…

"Time to wake up, tulip head. I'm not carrying you up," he muttered, and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her eyes shot open before Hayate completely pulled away, and a flush spread across her cheeks.

"Sorry," Hayate said, quickly turning so his back was facing her, "It's the only way to wake you up."

The girl nodded, and placed her hand into Hayate's, unaware of the bright red that had spread across his cheeks. They continued in silence for some time. A few floors later, they were suddenly by a pair of individuals with a matching set of weapons—huge scythes of black steel. Hayate stepped in front of the girl defensively, holding out his gun.

"The pretear and her knight, I presume," the female remarked. Hayate only narrowed his eyes in reply.

"Do not fear us. Your friends have already joined us. We have been expecting you," the male said calmly.

"I don't trust someone who doesn't even introduce themselves," Hayate hissed, tense as ever.

"Where are our manners," the female remarked," We are Yin and Yang, guardians from Leafenia."

Hayate's eyes widened in shock.

"Le-fee-nee-a," the girl said slowly, emotions flitting through her eyes.

"Yes. And we are here to assist our princess," the male continued, bowing to the girl.

The girl nodded and said simply to the confused-looking Hayate, "The physical manifestation of the balance of good and evil."

"Do you know them?" he asked, not lowering his gun.

"They are you; they are me. They are everyone," she answered cryptically and walked past Hayate.

"Oi!" he called out. She turned to him with an expression he could not read.

"Take us with you," she declared to the two. They nodded and opened the door—leading them into a portal to another realm…


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the hiatus! School work took over my life for the past two months. I'll be hopefully writing a lot this month (attempting to complete Nanowrimo-National Novel Writing Month-for a total of 50,000 words for the month by writing fanfiction!) Look forward to a lot more frequent updates to come! Enjoy :)

...

The realm they entered into was filled with mirrors. Hayate narrowed his eyes as he followed behind the girl and the twins. He felt an eerie chill spread through him as he saw his reflections gaze back at him. He looked ahead—and was shocked to find that the girl had no reflection. And the two scythe-holding duo's reflections were even stranger; Yin's reflection was of Yang and Yang's reflection was of Yin.

"Where are we?" Hayate asked finally.

"The place where I was created," the girl answered.

"Created?" Hayate asked—to which she gave no reply.

"The Realm of Reflections," Yin and Yang answered together, linking their hands together.

"What?" Hayate asked in confusion.

"It depicts the you who exists in the various realms that run parallel to our own," Sasame said, walking down a long corridor of mirrors towards Hayate.

Hayate gazed at Sasame's reflections, glad to find nothing unusual with them.

"Other realms, huh?" he thought aloud.

Hayate narrowed his eyes in confusion for a moment. A mirror into the other realms—did that realm include Leafenia? Was there a chance then, that one of the girl's reflections was Himeno? But the girl had no reflection at all…

"What did you mean when you said you were created?" Hayate asked, turning away from his own reflections. It sent a shiver down his spine thinking of the copies of himself in various realms that were choosing different paths than his own. Perhaps that meant that one of his copies had succeeded to save Himeno in another realm…_copies_?

The girl turned to face Hayate, her eyes hidden from view from Hayate.

"I am not the one you seek, am I?" she asked, her voice betraying for the first time, a hint of disappointment.

Hayate shook his head, but had nothing to say in return. It was true, what she said after all. After a moment's silence, Sasame spoke.

"Can we use this realm to find someone in another realm?" Sasame asked. Hayate looked at him sharply. He wasn't suggesting that they look for Himeno? But Sasame had always asserted that Leafenia did not exist.

"Yes, but there will be a price. Are you willing to pay the toll?" the twins asked gleefully.

Sasame opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Hayate who answered in the affirmative.

"I will pay the toll for the search. State your price," he said firmly.

The twins giggled and rushed towards him.

"Well something like this needs an official proceeding, right?" Yin asked. She took a dagger out of her pocket and ran the blade across Hayate's palm.

"Blood to seal the deal," she said, drawing a similar gash across hers and Yang's hands.

"The contract is as follows: We will aid you to find whom you seek, but in return, when you find this person, this girl whom you brought with you will be ours," Yang explained, his cold eyes meeting Hayate's fierce ones.

"She is not an object," Hayate hissed.

"Quite the contrary," a voice said. Hayate shifted his gaze without moving to the speaker—Kei.

"Why don't you two crazy twins explain what you know about this girl before you continue the contact business?" Go cried out, bringing his fist in contact with a wall. The anger was so palpable that had magic been permissible in this realm, he would have already had flames swirling around him.

"I would like to hear this as well," Mawata demanded, her hand around Hajime's trembling one.

Shin had awoken from the shouting, and looked around in a daze. Mannen turned away as if the situation did not affect him; he had been so little that he barely remembered Himeno anymore. But she was mentioned in such a secretive way that he had a vague curiosity at best.

"They deserve to hear the truth, Yin and Yang," the girl commanded, "After that, it is up to them to decide what to do."

Yin and Yang bowed to the girl.

"We cannot disobey our princess after all. Very well, we will explain why she is no more than an object," they said. They twirled their scythes around, as if enjoying all the attention they were receiving at the moment.

"This girl is what you suspect that she is, Hayate. She is a copy of your former Pretear," Yin began.

"Copy? Like a clone?" Sasame asked, placing a placating hand on Hayate's shoulder.

"Yes. When the Pretear expelled all of her Leafe to destroy the hoard of demon larvae, she drew upon the Leafe of all of her other selves as well," Yang said with a bored expression on his face.

"And it still wasn't enough?" Go spat.

"No. And she realized this," Yin answered, "so she drew upon the last of her Leafe to create a shell of herself that would be able to finish the battle that she could not."

"The last of her Leafe…" Mawata breathed. A sob caught itself in her throat at those words, but she did not want to betray her emotions in front of the others. She bit her lip, but her distress did not go unnoticed. Despite his own tumultuous emotions, Go placed an arm around her shoulders, which she neither pushed away nor welcomed.

"Then she has truly disappeared," Kei stated matter-of-factly.

"She's not gone," Hayate said in a firm voice.

It was the first time any of them had heard such a denial coming from him, and it surprised them. Sasame especially had been under the impression that Hayate's sense of guilt derived itself from his belief that he had killed her—and his hopelessness grew from the sense that there was nothing he could do to change that.

Perhaps the arrival of the Himeno look-alike had changed that. Perhaps Hayate had a sliver of hope after years of being trapped in his own guilt…

"Finding her is not your top priority now, is it?" the clone asked. Hayate did not turn to face the girl.

"By using her Leafe to create this clone, she has expressed her desire to save your broken world. Her actions don't say anything about rescuing her," Yang said, followed by a yawn. Yin whacked him for his apathy and said quickly, "But of course, it is up to you to decide what the dead would have wanted. They have no say for the living…"

"She's not dead, dammit!" Go burst out, "I dunno about you, Hayate, but I'm willing to trade this girl to find Himeno, especially if this girl isn't real…"

"No," Hayate said in a low voice.

"Who made you the leader?" Go snapped.

"Hayate's right. We can't go through with the contract because then we'd lose the power of the Pretear we have now for another Pretear we might not find," Kei said after analyzing the situation.

"Sometimes I wonder if you have any feelings at all," Mannen said suddenly, "I don't really remember Himeno, but shouldn't we do what she wanted us to do?"

"When did you get so grown up, you brat?" Go said, ruffling Mannen's hair.

Mannen looked up to say a retort, but was met with an expression that left him speechless. A look of pure torture filled Go's expression. His five years of denial were melting away in front of him, and the hope that this girl was Himeno was fading away fast as well.

"I don't care about this world. I'm going to find my sister," Mawata declared.

"Ah, the mortal with no powers! I am afraid your toll will be different than the Leafe Knights' toll," Yin said, almost beaming.

"Name your price," she countered.

"Your relationship as her sister," Yin replied.

"What does that mean?" Mawata asked.

"If you do find your sister, whatever past relationship you had with her will never be reclaimed. You will only be able to approach her as a stranger," Yang answered, once again stifling a yawn.

"Fine," Mawata declared.

"Then this deal is complete," Yin said, taking a drop of blood from the tip of Mawata's finger.

Yin and Yang opened a portal for Mawata.

"You're going alone?" Go called out after her.

"Yes," she snapped, moving forward. Go rushed to fall in step beside her.

"I'm coming as well," he said. Mawata turned to snap a retort when she saw how deadly earnest he was. He needed to do this for his own sake as well, she realized. He needed to confirm the truth about Himeno for himself—or else be trapped in uncertainty.

"Go, we need you here," Sasame said.

"I'm not coming back until I find Himeno," Go said stubbornly. Sasame sighed and nodded.

Hayate had turned away from the whole exchange, feeling his unease grow. Part of him wanted to go along with Go and Mawata, but another part of him warned him that he would only be betraying Himeno once more if he did. He stood in place, torn.

"Don't bother coming back quickly. I'll be more than enough help here," Mannen shouted out to his older brother Go.

Go gave Mannen a thumb's up before entering the portal with Mawata. As the portal closed, Mannen averted his eyes.

"So what do we now?" Kei asked the girl—the clone.

"I need to know why Himeno created me," she said with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Her memories," Yang said, stepping down from his platform. In his hand was a single shard of a gem.

"Here is a piece of the orb that you so unceremoniously broke, Hayate," Yang said, handing the piece to Hayate. Hayate held the glittering object in his hand and felt a familiar sensation rise from the object.

"Give it to the clone," Yin said. Hayate extended his hand out to the girl, who took the piece in her hand.

Suddenly the shard began to glow and enveloped the girl in a cloak of warm light. Of Leafe. Seconds later, the Leafe had entered her.

"A kendama," the girl said, "You were challenging Himeno to a series of tests. One of them involved a kendama. A toy that she did not throw away…"

Hayate reached into his coat pocket and produced the kendama. It had been broken in several pieces, but now it had been glued together whole. The girl took the kendama in her hand gently, a conflicted expression spreading across her face. Tears began to well in her eyes, and she handed the kendama back to Hayate.

"How do we get the rest of the shards?" Sasame asked.

"They are scattered across this realm—most likely in the wastelands where the orb was originally broken. Each shard contains a wealth of Leafe, so I would not surprised if the demons there are already feasting upon them…" Yang replied.

"Then we'll just have to destroy all of them and take the shards back," Hayate said firmly.

Yin and Yang seemed pleased with his response and snapped their fingers. An instant later, the group—minus Go and Mawata—found themselves back in the hotel.

"We head out at dawn," Hayate said, entering an empty room and collapsing onto a bed, prepared to spend another night full of nightmares…


	8. Chapter 8

Hayate woke with a pounding headache. Woke was not necessarily the correct word for how he was feeling at the moment. He had barely slept. Every time he had reached a level of unconsciousness, Himeno's form had haunted him. He still felt unsure that he had made the right decision. He clenched his fist. He hoped that Mawata and Go would be successful in finding Himeno—alive. It rankled him to leave it in their hands, but the thought of Himeno's angry face if he had gone to search for her caused him to pause.

"She would be angry at me, wouldn't she?" he mused aloud, a small smile forming on his lips. Realizing his mistake, he erased any trace of a small and headed out from his room. Kei and Sasame were already in the hallway.

"Where are Mannen, Hajime and Shin?" Hayate asked.

"I've let them sleep in a barrier I erected. We don't know what we will be up against, and I don't want them to come along for now," Sasame explained.

"I hold him that they're probably safer with us anywhere than on their own," Kei countered.

Hayate understood Sasame's reluctance to bring the younger members of the Leafe Knights. But thanks to Go and Mawata's absence, they needed all the help they could get. Besides, Mannen would never let it go if he was left behind.

"They're coming with us," Hayate said firmly. Sasame's frown deepened.

"I have no say over Hajime and Mannen, but as for my own younger brother, he is not coming with us," Sasame responded.

"Then you're proposing to leave Shin on his own?" Hayate snapped.

"I promising my parents as they died in front of me to protect Shin no matter what," Sasame said softly.

Hayate could not answer. He had been an orphan his entire life, moving from foster home to foster home. Unlike the others, he had never known what it was like to be part of a family until he had met the Leafe Knights.

And part of him could understand why Mawata was so determined to find Himeno. She feared being alone and abandoned.

"I will protect them," the girl said suddenly. Sasame turned to face the girl, whose determined gaze mirrored the one Himeno had before battling demon larvae.

"Fine," Sasame said stiffly, going into the room to wake the others.

"Are you ready?" Kei asked her. She nodded.

"I don't know what not being ready feels like, so yes, I believe that I am ready," she answered cryptically.

Kei nodded as if he understood. The analytical, detached manner in which the girl understood everything was consistent with his style of thought as well.

"We should give you a name for now," Mannen said cheerfully as he walked into the hallway. The girl looked at him in surprise.

"A name?" she asked.

"Yeah. A name," Mannen repeated.

"But I am only a copy of Himeno. I cannot take her name, nor can I take one of my own," the girl responded.

"It would be convenient for you to have a name, for communication during battle at the very least," Kei said.

"I see," the girl responded, as her brow furrowed in thought.

"How does naming work? Do I give myself a name?" she asked.

"Uh, well, normally people are babies when they get a name so…" Mannen began to blabber.

"It holds greater meaning if the name was given to you," Sasame explained, placing a hand lightly on her head. She flinched slightly from the sudden contact, which caused Sasame to pull his hand back.

"Then what name will you give me?" the girl asked. Sasame looked over to Hayate, who had turned away from the entire conversation. True, he was reluctant to name a girl who looked exactly like Himeno anything other than 'Himeno', but at the same time, giving her a different name was to give her a new identity—one detached from his sin.

"Hikari, meaning light," Hayate said after a moment's silence.

"Because you found me in an orb of light?" the girl asked.

Hayate did not answer.

"Do you like your name?" Hajime piped up. The girl smiled for one the first times at Hajime and at Hayate's receding back.

"Yes. I think I like it very much," she responded.

"Then what are you waiting for, Hikari? Let's get going," Hayate said gruffly. At the sound of her new name used so casually, Hikari felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She placed a hand on her cheeks, surprised at how warm they felt.

"Shall we?" Sasame asked, taking her hand in his. She felt as if the simple action of giving her a name had given a place among these knights. As if she belonged…

…

Mawata and Go had entered the portal walking side by side. In the shock of entering into blinding light, Mawata's hand had found itself in Go's. While they entered into the realm, Go tightened his grip on her hand. Truth be told, he was nervous about what they would find if they found anything at all.

"You're going to cut off the circulation to my fingers," Mawata snapped once they were through the portal. Go removed his hand from hers, turning away in embarrassment.

But Mawata's attention was elsewhere. She was gazing at her surroundings in awe, her eyes sparkling. She felt as if she had entered a fantasy world where the light itself was as sweet as candy.

The sunlight on her skin, the soft breeze running through her hair, the smell of flowers tickling her nose, and the blue, blue sky above her loosened the tension that had built up in her ever since she had heard that her sister might have been found. It was as if finding her would take its own course, and it was an action she had no control over, nor had any need to take control of.

"Peaceful," Go commented. Mawata sighed at his blundering manner. Trust her to bring with her one of the most insensitive, bumbling idiots with her into one of the most beautiful places she had ever set eyes upon. His trite comment had ruined the moment.

"Makes you wish she was here, doesn't it? It would've been nice for her to spend the last five years here," Go said after a moment's pause. Mawata looked up at him in surprise.

"You make it sound like this is heaven," Mawata replied.

"For all we know, it could be," Go replied, running a finger down the long stem of a flower.

"We should take a look around. It doesn't look like it will be night anytime soon…" Mawata began, when Go chuckled.

"Uptight as always. You can relax and leave some things to me, too, you know," he remarked.

"I don't trust you," Mawata said bluntly. A sharp wind picked up at her words, causing a shiver down her skin. It was almost as if the weather itself was responding to her animosity. And she could tell it disliked it.

"Very well. But you're stuck with me for the time being, so we should work something out," Go said.

"I didn't invite you," Mawata said quickly, even though she was secretly glad for his company. If anything, he would at least appear to be a ruffian, allowing her to keep a wide berth from others.

"I know. But I bet you wanted someone with you, anyway, even if that someone wasn't me," Go murmured in such a low voice that Mawata almost missed it.

Mawata had heard him clearly, but had nothing to say in reply. Or nothing she had wanted to say in reply, at least.

"Let's look for some clues," she said, flicking her tiny ringlets of her hair with the back of her hand.

"Aye, aye, captain," Go muttered. Mawata turned and gave him a searing look before continuing on.

This expedition better be over soon, Go mused, or otherwise one of us will end up killing the other in irritation…

…

The monster was hideous with razor-sharp teeth and oozing saliva that burned through any metal it made contact with. Sasame and Hayate were attacking the creature from the sides while Kei approached it head on. Hikari and the boys were waiting in the wings, according to plan.

As the creature struggled between a three-way onslaught, Mannen grabbed Hikari's hand. In a burst of Leafe, Mannen's spirit had fused with Hikari's. She opened her eyes to find herself garbed in an unusual velvet skirt with an emblem of a snowflake. A quick hand through her hair confirmed the presence of a headband.

"It's coming!" Mannen cried out, breaking her out of her reverie. As Sasame had instructed her over and over, she waited until the last split second before she released a blast of ice. Frozen in its tracks, one the monster's eye movements demonstrated that it was still alive.

"Find its core!" Hayate cried out. Hikari flinched at his sharp tone, but began her search for the core.

"What will it look like?" she asked in a low voice to Mannen only.

"I don't remember," he responded, "It's been a while since I even pret-ed."

She nodded in understanding and send out streams of Leafe, probing its surface. A sudden flash told her where the core was. She summoned a cannon made of ice to her hand, and was armed and ready to use it.

Suddenly, the creature burst out of the ice and lunged straight at her. Unable to move in shock, the full effect of the creature's attack hit Mannen, who acted as her shield.

His cry of pure agony filled her with guilt. Who was she to be doing this anyway? She was not truly Himeno—she was a copy. She was someone who did not know anything, who could not protect anyone. Why had she made such a bold claim that she would be able to protect the boys?

Vines shot out from nowhere, ensaring the creature, while Kei moved to protect her just in case. Her—what was it that she was feeling?—disappointment? Anger?

No, her frustration drove her to strike the creature—to shatter it into a thousand pieces. To send that hell-creature to oblivion.

The creature vanquished, Hikari immediately unpret-ed from Mannen and held him in her arms.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, holding his small, injured frame in her arms.

"It's not your fault. I just need to become a stronger knight," Mannen said, before losing consciousness.

Sasame took his now immobile form and created an orb of Leafe around him. A safe haven to heal. Without hesitation, he poured his Leafe into the orb, hoping to heal Mannen as quickly as possible.

"Don't be hasty," Kei said, bringing his hand to the orb. He closed his eyes and focused onto Mannen, reading his vital signs and Leafe levels.

"He'll be fine after a night in this," Kei stated. Coming from him that was as a good as a full recovery for Mannen. Hikari nodded but could not erase the feeling of her inadequacy and culpability…


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the long hiatus! School got pretty busy...and then I got lazy :P

Thanks to re-watching part of Pretear with a friend, I am back into writing pretear fics mode! Hope you enjoy and feedback is welcome as always!

...

The peaceful surroundings were almost too perfect—something that slowly warned Mawata of the unease that had been suppressed inside of her once she entered this realm. Leafenia…would this place hold the answers she was hoping for? Would she be able to find her sister here?

She took a deep breath and paused in place. She could feel the breeze trying to reach out to her, trying to speak with her. But the moment she felt it's meaning begin to reach her consciousness, it faded away.

"You feel it, too? The wind, I mean," Go asked.

Mawata nodded.

"It's saying we should leave. A warning," he muttered.

Mawata looked over to him, trying to mask her frustration at being unable to hear the wind's message. After all, she had been the mortal with no magical powers. The bystander who had been able to do nothing but watch the world crumble before her. As a result of her own selfishness…

"Does it say why?" she asked back. Go shook his head.

"I'm gonna keep going regardless," he replied. Mawata frowned. The unspoken issue weighed in her mind, the issue that the Leafe knights had avoided discussing. The question she needed to ask now.

"Where is Takako?" she asked.

Go froze and then clenched his hands into fists. Strange, Mawata thought, for him to be so silent…

"She destroyed her own Leafe to wreck the havoc you see now on Liora. If she still exists from her powers as Fenril, she's probably nothing more than a shell of a being. No threat anymore…" Go mused.

"Is it possible that she and Himeno had the same fate…?" Mawata began, but was silenced by a harsh look from Go.

They continued in silence, even the peace of Leafenia not easing the tension between the two.

…

Hikari stood by the window with her eyes closed. She was trying to block out the sounds of Mannen's cries as Kei disinfected his wounds. Leafe knight he may be, but he was still human. His Leafe needed to be replenished along with traditional treatment of his wounds. Receiving a wound while pret-ed inflicted more damage because the damage was both spiritual and physical. Both the body and Leafe became wounded.

"I'm sorry," Hikari murmured, the emptiness of her shell filling with the sense of remorse. She stiffened when she felt a jacket placed onto her shoulders. Turning, she found herself facing Sasame.

"You did well. Do not be too hard on yourself," he said softly.

She nodded.

"You should go see Hayate. He has the next shard for you," he mentioned.

Hikari walked down the hall to where Hayate was placing Hajime and Shin to bed. They were exhausted—both physically and mentally from the day—and their innocent faces made Hikari wonder how long they would need to do this for. How many shards were there? Was it even necessary to collect them?

Hayate saw her standing uneasily at the doorway.

"Come in," he said. She made her way over to him and stroked Shin's head softly, trying to find peace in his sleeping form.

"This is for you," Hayate said, handing the shard to her. As soon as she touched it, the shard enveloped her in light and surged into her…

A gentle looking woman with red hair was watering flowers. She smiled and passed the watering can to her. She took it in her tiny hands, laughing as she watered the flowers. A man with long, brown hair and glasses was standing behind them, watching the scene with a smile on his face. The image faded to the scene of another stern woman with her two daughters beside the same man. A family…

Confused, Hikari frowned.

"My family," she managed after a pause. Hayate nodded.

"Himeno's biological mother passed away when she was younger, so her father remarried. She had a step mother and two stepsisters," Hayate explained.

"So, the green-haired girl…is a stepsister?" Hikari asked. Hayate nodded.

"Mawata," Hayate said.

"Ma-wa-ta," Hikari pronounced, as if feeling the name in her mouth.

"And the rest of the family?" Hikari asked.

"Have all passed away," Hayate said bluntly. Hikari nodded. She appreciated his honestly with her.

"How?" she asked as they closed the door of the room and headed down the hallway.

"That's a story for another time," Hayate said, "Get some rest now. We start again tomorrow morning."

…

A sudden jolt through his mind brought Go to his knees.

"Go?" Mawata asked, concerned, yet trying to act detached at the same time.

_Your presence is not welcome here_, a voice cut through his mind. The sharp tone was familiar and foreign at the same time and caused his body to shudder. The edge in the voice—the threat with the power to follow up on the threat—was hidden within the voice.

"Who are you?" Go cried out, oblivious to Mawata's voice.

_The demon of your nightmares. Now leave before the peace is broken_, the voice replied.

The pressure on his mind disappeared and Go shakily got back to his feet.

"She's here," Go said cryptically to Mawata, looking more determined than ever to continue, "She's here."

…

"They've been left to their own devices for too long, wouldn't you agree?" she asked.

"They pose no more threat to us as they are," another replied. The woman looked at him sharply.

"One of them came into Upper City itself not too long ago. And there are rumors that the girl was found again," the women snapped.

"But wasn't that according to your plan? You wanted her to be found. That was why you created the crack in the barrier…" a third voice interjected.

"I want the girl. Nothing more and nothing less. The knights are useless to us, but if they continue the way they are, they will become more than an insignificant nuisance," the woman countered, "Get in touch with our agent and send the message that the time has now come…"


	10. Chapter 10

"Mawata!" Go cried, shielding her from the attack. The flames he used to counter only made the situation worse; the foliage caught fire immediately and the wind only served to fan the flames and spiral them out of control.

_Your presence is not welcome here, Leafe Knight _the voice shot again. Crying out in pain, Go quenched his flames.

"Show yourself, Takako!" Go cried out, his temper getting the better of him. Mawata watched Go's dialogue with the voice inside of his head with concern. He seemed to be straining too much. Had Takako truly survived? Or had she become a cluster of Leafe, only able to attack through mental force?

As Go clenched his head and focused inward, Mawata felt her presence for the first time. Himeno's presence.

"Himeno," she breathed. But there was something wrong. Her presence felt fragmented and confused. What had happened to her Leafe since that time?

_Mawata leave! You should not be here—you or Go! _Himeno's voice cried into Mawata's mind. Mawata suppressed the cry of pain that she would have uttered from the mental contact with her stepsister.

Mawata turned to the direction where the voice was coming from and blanched. She could sense a concentration of Leafe that was both positive and negative—a fusion that was neither good nor evil. As if drawn to the mixture of Leafe, she began to walk towards the forest.

Go caught her hand.

"Where are you going?" he demanded. Mawata tilted her head towards the forest.

"Himeno's there, I'm sure of it," she responded.

"We need to be careful. I sense a strange presence coming from the center of the forest," Go said, frowning.

"When have you ever stopped and thought before doing anything?" Mawata said—and to Go's surprise—with a soft smile. Go sighed in defeat and followed after her.

"When it comes to you, it seems like I'm doing nothing but thinking…" he muttered in a low voice, too low for Mawata to hear.

Mawata's attentions were elsewhere. She strained her senses, trying to feel out her stepsister's presence.

_Himeno…_she thought desperately. She closed her eyes and felt the memories of that day rush into her—a painful and nostalgic stream of memories.

The Princess of Disaster was done toying with the Leafe knights and had moved her plans into action. Her plan to remove all the Leafe from the world, leaving behind a barren, new world. Mawata thought back to how absorbed she had been in her own pain, her own loneliness and her own anger that she had not realized how she was being manipulated—by both Sasame and Takako. As the core of the great tree of Fenrir, she saw little of the events that happened that day. Only that when she came to, the tree was shattered…and her family was gone.

The true loneliness manifested in reality…

"We're here," Go announced, breaking her out of her reverie.

In the center of a giant tree was a being frozen in crystal. Tears welled up in Mawata's eyes as she realized what she was looking at.

Go placed a hand on her shoulder as they both drank in the truth. Instead of pushing him away, Mawata turned and buried her face in his chest. Embracing her softly, Go continued to gaze at the sight before him in horror.

…

It was their tenth creature today. Hayate could feel Hikari tiring from the multiple battles, but he could not bring himself to stop. And he sensed in her a determination to gather Himeno's memories—to become whole. As Hikari absorbed each shard into her core, Hayate could feel her transformation into a more complete shadow of the Himeno he had known. Even as it tore him apart, he continued.

"We should stop for today, Hayate," Sasame called out after Hikari had thrust the wind sword into an eleventh creature.

"No," came the firm answer from Hikari, "I can continue."

"Hayate…" Sasame snapped.

"You should rest," Hayate said to Hikari.

"That is not what you truly wish, is it?" Hikari answered back to Hayate. She sensed his internal sigh.

"You can feel the wasteland improving with each creature we defeat," Hikari replied.

In reply, Hayate undid the pret.

"We can't have our only pretear collapse on us. Let's head back," Hayate said in a low voice, looking as if he was struggling with himself.

As they passed through the barrier, they were stopped by a group of individuals in suits, their guns poised at the knights, ready to shoot.

"You came sooner than I expected," Kei said, making his way in front of the group.

"Kei…" Sasame began, when a sharp look from Kei silenced him.

"I will handle this. Take the kids and go," Kei said.

"I'm staying here. Sasame…" Hayate began, but before he had even finished, Sasame was already herding the kids back to the hotel.

"If you're here about the pretear, the information I provided was sufficient, was it not?" Kei asked them.

"We have orders to take custody of the pretear," one of them replied. Hayate immediately stood in front of Hikari, his eyes narrowed with anger.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he spat.

"We are the keepers of the peace in the Upper City. This new pretear serves as a potential threat to the peace of Serenity, so we have come to detain her for examination," the leader of the group responded, stepping forward.

Hayate's eyes widened as he recognized the speaker.

"Mrs. Awayuki…" he breathed.

"With all due respect, she is not your daughter. I can provide further details personally in Upper City," Kei said.

"What is going on?" Hayate hissed.

"The three of you follow me," Mrs. Awayuki commanded, "We have much to discuss."


	11. Chapter 11

The image of the being in the crystal brought tears to Mawata's eyes. She shuddered in Go's arms as she realized the futility of their mission. There was no way to save Himeno…

"Himeno…" Go breathed to the figure in encapsulated in the tree. Greater than the horror of the being in the tree was the realization that he had contributed to the creation of this monstrosity.

He clenched his fist as he struggled with the decision that he ultimately needed to make. Mawata felt his trembling and looked up, her eyes blazing with tears.

"You better not be thinking about doing something stupid," she murmured, her voice hoarse from the lump in her throat.

"Don't you know me better than that?" he replied—and released a stream of fire towards the seal on the crystal.

…

"Kei, are you going to tell us what's going on?" Hayate hissed in anger to Kei. Hikari followed beside him wordlessly, either ignoring or unaware of the looks Mrs. Awayuki threw in her direction.

She looked around at the city around her—the part of Serenity known as Upper City—with blank eyes. The pieces of Himeno's memories she had obtained had elements of the city she had grown up in, but it had felt different. More alive, more happy and free. A flourishing city of life and wealth. An image Upper City tried to maintain.

But the degeneration that had affected the rest of Serenity—informally known as Lower City—had come to Upper City as well. There was tension in the air. The tension built from deliberate ignorance of the deterioration of the city. A futile attempt for happiness.

Hikari turned and saw the ruins of what was once a mansion with fancy gates barring in an expansive garden. Unbidden to her, tears welled in her eyes.

"Where?" she asked softly to Hayate, but it was Mrs. Awayuki who answered her.

"That was once our home," she said softly. Hikari turned to her and fixed her with a gaze filled with intensity. Yes, she remembered, Himeno had called this woman her mother—her step-mother. The memories she had of this woman were pleasant. She did not seem to be a threat.

Hikari nodded in reply.

Mrs. Awayuki watched her in silence and looked as if she was going to say more, but turned away when she realized that they had reached their destination.

"Kei, thank you for your service. You will be rewarded accordingly," she stated, nodding to one of her men. But before he could pull out his gun, Kei had released a blade made of light. After a few seconds of hesitation from the suits, guns were loaded and ready to fire.

"Come now, there's no reason for this, Kei," she warned, her eyes narrowing. But the distraction from Kei was enough for Hayate to grab Hikari's hand.

Tired as she was, she pret-ed with her usual grace, pulling Hayate's spirit inside of her.

_Run! _Hayate's voice rang in her head. With a quick look at Kei, who nodded in affirmation, Hikari took to the sky. Kei unleashed a wave of light, blinding his foes long enough for him to also take to the sky—but too late. A bullet tore through his shoulder and he began to fall to the ground with a muffled cry.

In mid-flight, Hikari turned and shot downwards. As she approached closer to Kei's falling frame, she felt the pressure of a series of bullets coming her way.

_Change the wind pressure, _Hayate cried out. She summoned a current of wind and turned with an alarming speed, creating a vacuum of air around her.

"I want her alive!" Mrs. Awayuki's voice rang over the sound of a new volley of bullets.

_Leave Kei here and go—or I'll undo the pret! _Hayate warned. With tears in her eyes, she turned away from the falling knight.

…

Sasame knew they were following him. He was no fool. He didn't know what kind of a deal Kei had made with the head of Upper City—with Mrs. Awayuki—but he knew it had to do with Hikari.

Mrs. Awayuki had not stayed in the shadows these long years without harming them out of sympathy. She had more anger towards the Leafe knights for taking away her daughter than Mawata had for Himeno's sake, for Mrs. Awayuki had understood little about Himeno's role as the Pretear. What sacrifices she had chosen to make. What the Leafe Knights had meant to her. What she had meant to each of the Leafe Knights…

Taking a deep breath, Sasame willed away the painful memories of the past and worked on moving the children to safety. If the Leafe Knights were to fall now, he wished at least the young ones could survive. His younger brother, Shin. Go's younger brother Mannen. Kei's younger brother Hajime. If those three at least could survive…

They were gaining on him fast, the men in suits. At the beginning, he had pelted them with blasts of sound, hoping to stop them in their tracks. But his attempts had only stalled them and left him feeling exhausted.

A miracle…that's all he asked for now…a miracle to save the little ones…

…

"What have you done!" Mawata cried as Leafenia trembled from Go's actions. The crystal shattered, but not without resistance from within. The dual forces fighting one another—one for freedom, one to act as a shield.

As Leafenia crumbled beneath their feet, Mawata and Go felt themselves falling into the vast emptiness that was the realm between realms. The struggling force that Go had released was nowhere to be found.

"You have returned. I presume it was because you found what you had been looking for?" Yin asked.

"You knew what you were sending us to. You knew!" Mawata hissed, barely containing her tears behind her anger.

"Our job is merely to act as conduits. We neither give advice nor aid. We are simply channels for the use of others," Yang explained.

"Enough," Go interjected, unable to watch Mawata in any more pain.

"We can send you back to the realm you originally came from," Yin offered. Go nodded.

"We have an old score to settle once we return," Go said, clenching his fists.


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you for all of you who have followed this fic in its entirety! I started this fic on a whim, but ended up becoming pretty attached to it and truly appreciated the reviews. This last chapter, a little longer than usual for the finale, concludes Our Broken World. Hope you enjoy!

...

Kei struggled to move on the ground, even as pain racketed through his body. His vision blurred as he pushed himself up. His progress was halted by the presence of something cold and imposing into his back.

"I cannot forgive this," Mrs. Awayuki said in a cold voice, "Another betrayal by the Leafe Knights. I will not tolerate this any further. You will take me to my daughter."

"She is no more your daughter than I am a hero," Kei answered, blood seeping from his wound. He had only moments before his life would end. But he had one more job to do.

"The darkness will return. And then—you will _not _interfere," Kei hissed, and with a final burst of his magic, he formed a barrier around Mrs. Awayuki and her men.

And not a moment too soon. A brilliant light broke through the sky, shuddering the foundation of the ground and forming a tangible crack through both ground and sky.

"It has begun," Kei said before slipping into unconsciousness.

…

Sasame paused as he saw the sky tear into two. A familiar presence flooded his senses and he dared not believe his feelings. A lonely, frightened presence surrounded by a protective hatred. Takako.

A figure descended through the sky, her figure wrapped in a cloak of darkness. When the shadows broke, Sasame felt his eyes blur in a combination of longing and dread. He had to fight her once again. He could not bring himself to hurt her anymore than he had. He had carried the guilt that he had brought her death.

Guilt worse than Hayate's. He had every intention to kill her. But not this time. He took one look back at the little ones before wrapping them in a protective shield that blocked both visual and auditory stimuli to those within and without.

This way, no matter the outcome, they would be safe. They would be ignorant to his betrayal. They would be ignorant to the happenings of the end of this broken world and be able to rebuild it anew.

But now, his destiny awaited him.

…

Hayate felt his breath catch in his throat. It couldn't be. The figure of darkness descended with such hatred—hatred that he had been on the receiving end of—and such malice. Takako had returned. But something was different, and it was the resonance of the second presence that he felt that caused him to feel pangs of agony in his chest.

Hikari sensed his unease and continued her trajectory towards the figure of darkness. Everything in her being was calling her towards the darkness. There was her purpose, her reason for existence. She said a soft prayer for the little ones who had showed her such kindness, for straightforward Kei, goofy Go and gentle Sasame. And Hayate…

She needed to do this because she was designed to do this. But it was more than that. She wanted to do this for him. To relieve him of his pain and free him from the guilt that haunted him from the past. And she now had the ability to do so.

As she approached closer, she felt hesitation emanating from Hayate's spirit inside of her.

"Let's do this. We will win," she said aloud. Hayate started in surprise and then she could feel his entire being smile with the warmth she loved.

_Thank you, Hikari_

She summoned her wind sword and rushed forward to attack, when a burst of pressure threw her backwards.

"Sasame!" Hikari cried out in surprise.

_Speak for me, Hikari_

"Join me, Sasame. Let's end this cycle now," Hikari cried out, speaking the words that Hayate wanted to use to reach out to Sasame.

Sasame's eyes were cold and unfeeling when he met Hikari and Hayate's gaze.

"I lost the one I loved once before. Never again. Even if the world should end for good this time," Sasame cried out. Tendrils of darkness surrounded him, and he accepted it willingly.

"Pret with me, Takako," he murmured.

_She shouldn't be able to pret…she stopped being a pretear long ago_

In a brilliant flash of deep violet light, Sasame was gone and Takako, dressed in a dark outfit with Sasame's emblem of the sound of knight on the front.

"Have you ever seen the like, Hayate? A Princess of Disaster turning into a Pretear?" Takako cried out while laughing.

"It matters not. We will defeat you," Hikari said in a flat voice. Hayate had suddenly gone silent.

"You understand now, don't you, Hayate?" Takako said, her lips curling into a wicked smile.

A blast of fire towards Takako interrupted their conversation.

"Let Himeno go!" Go cried out, continuing his volley of fire. He was flying through the slit in the sky, heading straight down towards her. A volley of gunshots followed his flame attacks as Mawata followed him down.

With a wave of her hand, she sent the bullets encapsulated in flames back at Mawata and Go. In a shriek, the two of them went plummeting towards the ground. Hikari moved faster than she ever had towards the two. She had just lost Kei due to her cowardice. She would not lose Mawata and Go in the same manner.

She spun as she raced towards them, summoning a whirlwind in her wake. Engulfing the bullets and flames in the whirlwind, she sent it flying towards Takako. Takako countered with a sonic arrow, exploding the combination of wind, fire, bullets and sound pressure in an explosion that shook the entirety of Serenity.

Cradling the now unconscious Go and Mawata in a cloud of wind, Hikari deposited them gently onto the ground. As the dust settled from the explosion, Takako was nowhere to be found. Hikari frowned and closed her eyes. She would be able to sense her. After all, her true self was hidden within the twisted spirit of Takako. Himeno was all that keeping Takako from releasing into a million particles of negative energy. If only there was a way to destroy Takako without harming Himeno…

_You have done enough on my account…thank you_

Hayate broke the pret from Hikari. She looked at him in confusion, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. He took her into his arms and breathed into her hair, "I will be back, I promise you. Be safe for me."

And with that he took to the sky. Takako made her appearance once again, sending flying daggers towards the embodiment of her hatred—towards Hayate—with a blood lust she had nursed all these years. Eyes blazing he turned to face Takako, sword pointed dangerously towards her exposed throat.

"Sasame, I know you can hear me. Break this pret now and face me. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to harm Takako," Hayate challenged.

Despite the look of protest that covered Takako's face, Sasame broke the pret and summoned a sword made from darkness itself.

"Let us end this, once and for all, Sasame," Hayate cried and thrust forward.

Takako descended down towards the _clone _of that failure of a pretear inside of her. She snapped to attention and stood protectively in front of Mawata and Go.

"I have no quarrel with you. Why don't you join me?" Takako offered, extending a pale hand. Hikari watched her carefully. Takako watched as her eyes took a blank look once—and she fell to the ground as an empty shell.

"What?" Takako began when she felt the presence inside of her revolt.

_I am joining you, Takako, to destroy you. We will go down together. _

"Get out! Get out of me!" Takako shrieked, clutching at her head.

_For all the pain you have caused my family and my friends, you will pay the ultimate price_

"No!" Takako cried out as tears spilled from her eyes in pain. She doubled over as the combined force of Himeno and Hikari tore her from the inside.

_You will be the bond that restores this broken world. Forever to feel the scars you have caused as part of yourself_

Sasame and Hayate continued their duel in the sky, both fighting for the love they had lost and regained. The conflict reflected in their eyes. Brothers, comrades, friends—all set aside for the two women who had once been the pretear. Their internal worlds shattered from grief and inability to let go.

"Please," Sasame said, his eyes split between the sight of his beloved torn into two with pain and Hayate's relentless attacks.

"Please…just let me go to her," Sasame pleaded once again. Hayate paused in mid air at the sense of utter defeat lost reflected in Sasame's eyes. Hayate nodded and let him go down. He followed behind, the strength leaving his body with the knowledge that it would soon be all over. Everything…

"Forgive me!" Takako cried out shrilly as her being was slowly dissolving away. Sasame held her disappearing frame; the tears he had left unshed all these years spilling uncontrollably into empty air.

The release of her energy twisted back into restorative powers by the true pretear's powers healed the world. The sky cleared into a brilliant blue, and sunlight flowed into the land beyond Serenity, where fields of delicate flowers had sprouted everywhere. And the red snow fell from the sky, only to turn white as it hit the ground.

"Only you would be able to take hate and turn it into love," Hayate said aloud as he watched the snow.

A face appeared in each snowflake. The shining face of Himeno. She was smiling, but her eyes were sad.

_She's saying goodbye to me…_

Hayate nodded in understanding, and let the snow caress his face, healing his wounds as it healed the rest of the world.

_I leave you a parting gift, my dear Hayate…_

Hayate opened his eyes and saw Hikari standing before him. She looked at him with hesitation. He smiled and extended his hand out to her.

"Let's go home together," he said. Her eyes filled with tears and she rushed into his arms.


End file.
